‘Brilliant Minds’ Special Thanksgiving Episode Will Leave You Full
Eric Dane delivers an emotionally powerful performance while shedding light on the struggles of living with ALS
Eric Dane makes his first guest starring appearance since the announcement of his diagnosis in Brilliant Minds episode 9, “The Firefighter,” airing Monday, November 24. Eric plays a firefighter named Matthew who struggles to cope with his diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)—a progressive neuromuscular disease that attacks motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventual respiratory failure. With the holidays, many people struggle with unforeseen health issues, loneliness and isolation, and grief. In this episode, the team at Bronx General work their hardest to deliver the best care for their patients, bringing as much holiday cheer as they can under the circumstances.
Is Good Enough Ever Enough?
This season has circled heavily around Dr. Ericka Kinney—her post-traumatic stress disorder from her apartment complex destruction and dealing with her own mortality, and her relationship with a patient, Sam, who struggles with schizophrenia. “The Firefighter” dives deeper into this case as Ericka is given grave news from Dr. Wolf and Dr. Pierce about his condition. Every episode has led to Ericka being forced to face her own demons in order to protect her emotional and mental health, as well as her employment. While highly intelligent and ambitious, Ericka must ask herself what her purpose is as a doctor—will her emotions cloud her judgment and lead to a medical mishap or will this level of empathy be her own superpower?
Brilliant Minds season 2 takes a more serialized approach than it did in season 1, keeping character storylines threaded throughout subsequent episodes. The biggest question mark along the way being Dr. Wolf’s (maybe) imprisonment (?) at Hudson Oaks. The first 9 episodes will be available for you to stream on Peacock all Thanksgiving long, giving you time to come up with your own theories while continuing to spend time with your new favorite medical team. With just 1 more episode before the winter break, you do not want to miss out on all the drama.
Brilliant Minds airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC and next day on Peacock.